Marijuana should be made legal in the U.S., voters say 59 – 36 percent. Republicans are opposed 61 – 35 percent and voters over 65 years old are opposed 51 – 42 percent.

Every national poll that has asked a form of the question ‘Should Marijuana Be Legalized?’ since Gallup first asked in 1969.

The only people who still support prohibition are the same demographic that tunes in to FOX News Channel and re-runs of Murder She Wrote. Unfortunately, that demographic is in charge of the Congress and most statehouses.

Voters support 93 – 6 percent legalized marijuana for medical purposes if prescribed by a doctor.

Yet, like background checks (90 percent support) and GMO labeling (93 percent), the federal government still opposes medical marijuana (93 percent). Even 85 percent of the Republicans and 92 percent of people over age 65 support medical marijuana!

It makes you wonder how many firearms, food, and pharma CEOs are in that less-than 10 percent who agree with the government?

Americans in every demographic also take a strong “states rights” position when asked whether the federal government should interfere with states that end their marijuana prohibition

The government should not enforce federal laws against marijuana in states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana use, voters say 71 – 23 percent. Voters in every listed group support this position.

When we see polls like these, it often gives us hope that the feds will soon recognize the will of the people and accede to marijuana legalization. Those who’ve been optimistic about the future of the cannabis industry, despite the appointment of rabid prohibitionists at the Departments of Justice and Health & Human Services, will take these numbers as a clear sign that the Trump Administration will maintain the prior White House’s hands-off approach to state marijuana reforms.

But as the ongoing popular support for gun background checks and GMO labeling reveals, what the people want is not what the government and corporations want.

Also, a measurement missing from this poll is the ferocity of support for the issue of marijuana. While prohibition may be deeply unpopular, concern about it is tremendously shallow. Few people are going to change their vote based on a politician’s stand on marijuana, like they might for the issues of abortion or gun control.

Still, these numbers tell us we have won the battle for the hearts and minds of America.

* Runners-up for most-hated band on the planet, narrowly losing out to Nickelback.

Russ Belville - or "Radical" Russ, as he is known on-air - hosts The Marijuana Agenda, a live news and talk radio program for the cannabis community, weekdays at 3pm Pacific on MJAgenda.com. The show is based in Portland, Oregon, but "Radical" Russ has traveled over 300,000 air miles in the past five years, bringing his show to report live from hundreds of cannabis conferences, marijuana expos, hemp festivals, and legalization events in over 70 North American cities.

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